


Deke the Halls

by LibbyWeasley



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Christmas, FitzSimmons - Freeform, Fluff, Gen, Kid Fic, Ritz bits, fitzsimmons family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-23 11:45:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17079728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LibbyWeasley/pseuds/LibbyWeasley
Summary: Deke is spending the holidays with his grandparents and he decides to decorate for Christmas while they are at work.





	Deke the Halls

**Author's Note:**

  * For [blancafic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blancafic/gifts).



> @blancasplayground was wondering why there wasn't a fic called "Deke the Halls" and then this happened. :)
> 
> Unbeta'd so let me know if there are any horrible mistakes.

It wasn’t his first Christmas. But that didn’t matter because it _was_ his first Christmas with his grandparents and his aunt. As Deke looked around the house that Fitz and Jemma were renting while they consulted on a long-term project for SHIELD, he realized that he felt a lot more at home than he had on any of his travels. Even the baby he was holding in his arms, while his grandfather tried to explain all of the Christmas traditions from his childhood, just felt right. Apparently his grandmother was less sentimental because she rolled her eyes several times during Fitz’s stories.

“Christmas crackers?” Deke asked. “I don’t even know what that means.”

“Well, it’s…”

But at that moment two things happened. The first was that Maddie let out a loud belch followed by an orange explosion from her mouth. The second was that both Fitz and Jemma’s phones started buzzing.

“Well, I’ll give you one guess who that will be. And just as I’ve put the cookies in the oven, too.” Jemma sounded slightly exasperated and he knew it must be because her schedule of Christmas activities was being interrupted.

Fitz reached for the baby and Deke gladly handed her over.

“Let’s get you cleaned up, Maddie. And then we’ll help your mum find a sitter. Seems like we’ll be working today after all.”

“I can watch her.” The words slip out of his mouth like he actually knew what he was saying. “I mean...I’m here already. And she likes me!”

His grandparents exchanged “a look” and he waited for a response, holding his breath. An idea had started to form in his head and was excited about the possibilities.

“That is very sweet of you to offer, Deke, but Maddie is teething. Are you sure?” Jemma had been the one to speak. Which was not surprising since she was the more diplomatic of the two of them.

“Absolutely! If I can survive the Kree, I can handle one little girl for the afternoon.”

Deke ignored the snort he heard from across the room where Fitz was wiping off Maddie’s face, and instead gave Jemma his biggest, most confident smile.

“Alright, then. Thank you, Deke. I’ll show you where all the emergency numbers are and then Fitz and I will be on our way. Maddie needs to eat and then she goes down for her nap at 2. Oh, and don’t forget to take the cookies out when the timer dings.”

Jemma walked him through everything he needed to know about caring for his aunt and he let the words rush over him, focusing on the visions of tinsel and garland dancing in his head instead. While his grandparents were gone he and Maddie would transform this house and fill it with Christmas spirit. He just needed to get Maddie her lunch and then they could go to the store.

 

* * *

 

Six hours later, Deke was starting to think maybe he wasn’t cut out for this Christmas thing after all. He was cold, tired, and tangled up in Christmas lights. Maddie was laying on the floor crying, covered in some sort of sparkly dust — which also seemed to be...everywhere. The only thing that made her happy was one of the ornaments he had bought. But she kept putting it in her mouth and chewing on it, and he knew her parents wouldn’t appreciate that. Who knew where it was from or what it was made of? His grandparents, that’s who.

The cookies he had forgotten to take out of the oven were burnt, blackened blobs. And when he opened the oven door, black smoke had escaped, swirling around the kitchen. The smoke was gone now, but not the smell, and the only thing that helped was the open window, which was letting in fresh air in icy blasts.

The woman at the store had been no help at all, not knowing what things like “fairy lights” and “Christmas crackers” were. Luckily he found everything he needed without any help. He was just having trouble knowing what to do with all of it.

So even though he wanted to surprise his grandparents with a house full of Christmas decorations, he breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the front door open and Jemma call his name.

“We’re in here,” he called back. Then, turning to the baby, he added, “You can keep quiet about all of this, right?”

“Deke...what happened? Why are you wrapped up in Christmas lights? And why is Maddie covered in glitter?”

Jemma has already asked three questions and scooped her daughter off the floor before Deke could even respond to the first question.

Fitz’s eyes swept the room more slowly, taking in all the details, before alighting on Deke.

“I’d say it looks like he is decorating for Christmas,” Fitz finally said.

“Oh, that’s...nice,” Jemma said with a smile, while she pulled the ornament away from Maddie and gave her a toy instead. The plastic giraffe went right into her mouth, but at least the crying stopped.

“Yeah? I got everything you told me about. Lights, garland, and mistletoe. It’s fake, but that’s okay, right? Oh, and I also got Christmas crackers,” he said, pointing at the plate he had set out.

“Deke, these are Ritz bits,” Fitz said, bringing a hand up to his forehead. He must have a headache.

“Yup...they just look so festive. Crackers _and_ cheese. All in one. It’s genius.” Deke looked from Fitz to Jemma, waiting for a response.

“You are right, Deke. Very festive.” Jemma turned to Fitz. “I think we still have that box of Christmas decorations from last year. In the front closet. You can get them while I get Maddie changed.”

Jemma stepped close to Fitz as she walked past, whispering something that Deke couldn’t hear. But whatever it was, it made Fitz shake his head and look up again.

“Did you need some help getting untangled?” Fitz asked.

“No, uh, I’ve got it, but you can help if you want to.”

“I think I’d probably better...not because you need my help or anything, but because it would make Jemma happy,” Fitz said slowly, seemingly studying Deke as he moved closer.

“Sure...and then after that you can help me ‘Deke the Halls.’ I’m pretty sure that will make Jemma happy too,” Deke said, excitement making his words come out quickly.

Fitz scratched a nail against his chin. “Probably...but let’s start with the mistletoe just in case.”

Deke turned in circles as Fitz untangled the string of lights that was wound around him.

“Why the mistletoe? It’s just a bunch of fake plastic leaves.”

“Well, that is one Christmas tradition that Jemma really likes,” he said with a smile, before he started telling Deke about all his memories of Christmases past that he had shared with Jemma.

It sounded nice, Deke thought. Not as nice as a box of Ritz bits. But nice for his grandparents. They could be a little odd sometimes.

But as he worked side by side with his grandfather and Jemma started a fresh batch of cookie dough while baby Maddie napped, he knew there was nowhere else he’d rather be.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr/pillowfort/Discord @LibbyWeasley


End file.
